Dr. Naveen Krishnan holds an impressive academic background, including M.Sc., M.Ed., M.Phil., and PGDDT degrees. His dedication to environmental causes, such as nature protection, animal welfare, and tree planting, began in his early years and has since become the cornerstone of his professional life.
In 2011, Dr. Naveen Krishnan founded the Global Nature Foundation (GNF), a registered non-profit organization. Under his leadership, GNF has successfully implemented over 900 programs, including extensive tree plantation drives and impactful environmental awareness campaigns. Expanding its reach, GNF established "Roots for Fruits," a branch organization in Bangalore, in 2018.
Dr. Naveen Krishnan established Naveen Garden, a training center within GNF, to provide specialized education to students and the farming community. This center is officially registered with and approved by TNAU. Naveen Garden actively promotes agri-tourism and innovative integrated farming systems, holding the distinction as the first in Tamil Nadu to advance the agri-tourism concept. Dr. Krishnan also presides over the Tamil Nadu Agri-tourism Association.
Affectionately known as "Pasumai Kavalan," Dr. Naveen Krishnan earned this title through his remarkable achievement of planting over 100,000 trees in and around his hometown over two decades. He further created a mini-forest of more than 10,000 trees at Naveen Garden, embodying the principles of ecological restoration. His reforestation efforts have led to the resurgence of rare bird and butterfly species in this man-made ecosystem.
Dr. Naveen Krishnan is a prominent advocate for bird conservation, with a particular focus on sparrows. He actively distributes complimentary nest boxes and provides platforms for public engagement in the conservation of house sparrows and other common birds.
To foster environmental awareness among the next generation, Dr. Naveen Krishnan has forged Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with numerous educational institutions for student training. He has also established science clubs to guide school and college students through projects and internships at his training center.
His awareness and training programs have reached over 300,000 students at his experiential learning center and have trained 50,000 farmers.
An ardent animal enthusiast, Dr. Naveen Krishnan provides care for adopted animals, including cats, dogs, and cattle, at the GNF training center. He is also a highly skilled snake rescuer, having successfully rescued over a thousand snakes and other wild animals. His volunteer efforts extend to collaborating with forest and fire service departments in animal rescue. The GNF training center further serves as a rehabilitation facility for animals rescued by the forest department and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).
Dr. Naveen Krishnan`s inspiring journey also encompasses humanitarian efforts. In collaboration with Sarathi Trust, he is currently overseeing the construction of a school for underprivileged children at the GNF training center, a noble initiative to provide education to those in need. He is a distinguished recipient of multiple awards at international, national, and state levels.
His accolades include the Karma Veerar Kamarajar Award from the Tamil Nadu Government in 2011 for his environmental contributions, an Honorary Doctorate from American Tamil University in 2022 for his work in environmental protection and societal upliftment, and the Sutrusoozhal Sudaroli Award from the Tamil Nadu Government in 2022 for his inspirational environmental services.
On August 15, 2025, the Tamil Nadu Government will bestow upon Dr. Naveen Krishnan the prestigious Green Champion Award, recognizing his steadfast dedication to environmental stewardship.
To date, Dr. Naveen Krishnan has been honored with two national awards, seven state awards, and nineteen district-level awards. He has frequently participated in live radio programs to promote environmental awareness, and his services and programs through the Global Nature Foundation have been widely featured in reputable magazines and newspapers.
